Thrift-driven Americans are fixing up, making do and reusing so much to cope with the recession that the drop in throwaways means less fill for landfills.

To deal with the drop-off in dropoffs, landfills are laying off workers, reducing hours of operation and hiking disposal fees, with the increases passed along to cities, businesses and consumers.

"You can look at waste and see what the economy is doing," said Tom Houck, manager at the Defiance County Landfill in northwest Ohio. He's watched the amount of trash arriving at the landfill plunge 30 percent in the past year.

With consumers cutting back on new purchases, there is less packaging to throw away. The downturn in new housing means less waste from construction materials such as insulation and from discarded drywall and lumber. Restaurant waste is down because people are eating out less.

"We're seeing this all over the country," said Bruce Parker, president and CEO of the National Solid Wastes Management Association.

Environmentalists applaud the trash slash.

"That will mean the landfills will last longer," said Ed Hopkins, director of the environmental quality program for the Sierra Club. "That is good for the public because nobody likes to live next to a landfill."

Hopkins said the reduction in waste is good for the environment because even modern landfills can leak, enabling pollutants to seep into groundwater.

Thom Metzger, spokesman for the National Solid Wastes Management Association, said that while national figures won't be available for months, the association is hearing about the decline from many members.

Landfills in Ohio received 15 percent less waste from August to January than they did for the same period a year earlier. The waste stream at Miramar Landfill near San Diego has dropped 35 percent over the past year. Waste at Puente Hills Landfill near Los Angeles is down from 12,500 tons of trash a day to about 8,500.

About 82 temporary workers have been laid off at Puente Hills and its two sister landfills, shrinking the work force to about 280 and forcing permanent employees to take over traffic control, windy-day litter pickup and landscaping.

Several landfills operated by Waste Management Inc. - which runs about 270 active landfills in 47 states - have gone from operating six days a week to five or have reduced hours of operation, said spokeswoman Lisa Kardell.

Waste Management's fourth-quarter profit slid 29 percent on declines in its recycling business and one-time charges. But in its earnings report, the Houston-based company also mentioned declines in the collection of industrial waste.

Landfill operators rely on disposal fees to fund operations. If the amount of waste decreases, operators have to cut costs, dip into reserve funds or increase the fees, which are passed along to consumers.

In the Columbus suburb of Grove City, the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio landfill- with 10 percent less waste - has raised disposal fees by $2 a ton to $35.50 and dipped into its reserve fund. The landfill also is considering accepting trash from out of the district.

Potential trash is being sent to repair shops.

Louis Johnston, an economist at the College of St. Benedict in Collegeville, Minn., said that during good economic times people spend about 1 percent of their consumption budget on repairs. During recessions, that jumps to 5 percent.

When the ice maker in Maureen Schlangen's 12-year-old refrigerator went kaput, she didn't have the fridge hauled to a landfill. The woman went back to ice trays, buying two for $1.50 apiece and borrowing a Mickey Mouse tray from a neighbor in the Dayton suburb of Kettering.

When Janet Bittner's 5 wood came apart, the Appleton, N.Y., resident borrowed a Phillips screwdriver from her brother and repaired the golf club instead of throwing it away.

At the Computer Zoo in the Dayton suburb of Miami Township, servicing of used computers is up 25 percent. And what normally was a customer wait of five to seven business days has become as long as 13.

"People don't have the kind of money to spend buying a new system when they can repair their old stuff for like half the cost," said Dan Seidl, purchasing manager.

People are shopping more at thrift stores but donating less.

Sales at the 2,220 Goodwill Industries International stores in the United States and Canada that have been open for at least a year were up 7.2 percent in February over February 2008.

"While the number of donors is increasing or remaining the same, we are seeing the two-bag donor now bringing in only one bag," said spokeswoman Lauren Lawson.

The Goodwill operation in Washington, D.C., has started appealing for donations in talks at schools, businesses and civic groups. It is sending trucks out to pick up donated items instead of waiting for the goods to be brought to stores or pickup points.

If Schlangen and Bittner are any indication, Goodwill has its work cut out for it.

Bittner extends the life of her shoes by sometimes putting slippers on at the office. Schlangen has learned to live without an automatic ice maker.

"In times like these, our culture is moving toward making do with what we have," she said. "And an ice maker is a luxury."

Goodwill is still doing a booming business. Bought a prom dress there the other day and they had just as much stuff as they’ve ever had. Yes, brand new with the store tags for $12, thank you very much.

10
posted on 04/26/2009 3:44:28 PM PDT
by bgill
(The evidence simply does not support the official position of the Obama administration)

Ahhhh, the only time I EVER saw a repairman at our house was when we got a TV. Other than that...my dad, painted, sanded, nailed, refinished and rewired lamps all down in our basement. It was fun as a kid to go down there while he was doing that and just hang out and talk to him. Those were hard days for lots of people but...we made do with what we had and had shoes repaired, wore hand me downs, and even had (mismatched furniture pieces in our house given to us by friends or relatives) heaven forbid. The furniture was not always perfect or a “set” but...the love was perfect from a “set” of parents who took care of their family the best way they knew how and taught my brother and sisters to do the same. Thank you God for the wisdom of good parents and the lessons they taught us for life. I am VERY GRATEFUL.

At the Computer Zoo in the Dayton suburb of Miami Township, servicing of used computers is up 25 percent. And what normally was a customer wait of five to seven business days has become as long as 13.

"People don't have the kind of money to spend buying a new system when they can repair their old stuff for like half the cost," said Dan Seidl, purchasing manager.

The USB controller on the motherboard of my 6-year old PC is shorting out, so I bought an Ultra PCI card with 6 USB ports. I paid $20 with shipping -- a heck of a lot less than a new computer. Now I can run my Wacom Intuos, external HD, flash driver, printer, Alltel aircard, etc. without my system shutting down.

If Microsoft is smart (yeah, I know, HAHAHAAAAA), they could market Windows 7 to those of us with older PC's who refuse to downgrade to Vista.

A cabinet factory near my home is closing and their dumping their warehouse inventory. I’ve been going down there and grabbing cupboard doors cheap (the ones with glass panes) to use as picture frames that look a bit like windows with scenery pictures behind them.

If the economy picks up I think I’ll be able to sell them and make a nifty profit at flea markets and craft shows etc.

15
posted on 04/26/2009 3:56:14 PM PDT
by cripplecreek
(The poor bastards have us surrounded.)

Maybe it is time to market myself as a home tech again. I am certified and very experienced. Every now and then I make a few bucks doing quick fixes for some of the church crowd and in laws. Marketing seems to be my major shortcoming. I really don't know what to charge either.

No doubt there is a glut of people with my skill set out there but some of the ones I have met do not inspire any confidence in me. It is scary how much people simply do not know.

20
posted on 04/26/2009 4:08:29 PM PDT
by wally_bert
(Tactical Is Still Missing A Chair! Star Wreck In The Pirkinning......)

T-minus how long until some socialist supporting clown will use this “story” to say this:

If we didn’t have capitalism we wouldn’t have so much stuff and so many landfills wouldn’t have been filled in which release methane which have been causing temperatures to rise due to it being one of the ways man, undoubtedly, has been causing global warming...

Well, I’ve taken coffee makers apart and cannibalized them to make a good working one. Whenever possible, I repair instead of replace.

My dishwasher was leaking so I had to pull the motor and the pump to redo the seal, works like a charm now. That was kind of a fascinating exercise because the pumps on them are bi-directional, if the motor spins one way, it pumps water into (through) the system, and if the motor spins in the other direction, then it pumps the water out of the system!

But you are right. I would guesstimate that 95% of the time when something breaks, your average Joe (or Jill) doesn’t have the time or inclination to fix it, even assuming they knew how..

I finally got around to fixing the broken pull cord on my troybuilt 5550 generator a couple of weeks ago. That was an adventure. The biggest aggravation was having to take the float bowl off to get the housing clear.

I would have taken the carb off but it had oddball fittings that would strip if I did anything but use the special tool that I didn't have for it. Putting the float bowl back on and aligned right took a few tries but I got it. I also remembered why I don't like working on carbs of any kind. I really don't know where to get a hold of something like that. It is a Briggs Stratton which I am 99% sure.

I was never the greatest small engine guy in the world but the old generator starts right up. There is a tiny bit of slack in the cord. The oil pressure safety switch is apparently defective on some models like mine. It will run fine for about 45 minutes or so then start to stumble and almost shutdown and then it will come right back. I need to track down a replacement switch.

Maybe when the surgeon releases me this Friday hopefully I can get back to doing stuff around here. I feel so much better overall than before going in. My gall bladder blew out on me recently and I had the first real surgery of my life. Looking back it may have been giving me problems for a very, very long time. At least I have become reacquainted with Bonanza and Gunsmoke. Favorites of my Grandfather.

25
posted on 04/26/2009 4:44:29 PM PDT
by wally_bert
(Tactical Is Still Missing A Chair! Star Wreck In The Pirkinning......)

The best things I did for myself was take wood shop and auto mechanics in school. Those interested me the most. Science and history came next.

My wood shop taught some basic 110 home electrical and one guy already worked with his dad a lot and knew how to do a lot. He impressed us and the teacher too. This was 7th grade. Auto Mech was 9-12 and I was perfectly happy in there. I hated the rest of the high school racket.

27
posted on 04/26/2009 4:47:37 PM PDT
by wally_bert
(Tactical Is Still Missing A Chair! Star Wreck In The Pirkinning......)

But you are right. I would guesstimate that 95% of the time when something breaks, your average Joe (or Jill) doesnt have the time or inclination to fix it, even assuming they knew how..

It's funny. I have been repairing industrial equipment for almost thirty years. I fix everything. I fix things that others would throw away. It's really hard for me to understand NOT trying to fix something.

28
posted on 04/26/2009 4:58:47 PM PDT
by raybbr
(It's going to get a lot worse now that the anchor babies are voting!)

HA....our 1+ year old washing machine QUIT the other day....I couldn’t figure out why.....it just wouldn’t start and go past the first phase....so, I got on the Internet, and did a little research. In the end I found a HINT at a POSSIBLE problem, removed the top so I could reach some things (and unplugged it!).....eventually I wiggled some things. Tried it...and VOILA!, it worked!

This Internet thingy is great! And, I’m a 58 yr old woman...sure impressed my husband by saving a call to a “repair guy” who would have charged probably $75 just to show up.

30
posted on 04/26/2009 5:09:12 PM PDT
by goodnesswins
(Free Speech for THEE, but NOT for ME????)

Monopolists don’t operate under the law of supply and demand. Our garbage rates go up every time the waste stream goes down. Rates really jumped when they started the “free” recycling program 20 years ago. We raised our family of three kids with only one trash can every week due to that program.

Give me the book and the kit, mix in some patience and I will get it working. For the aggravation and time, I have replaced a few rather than expend the labor. Replacement is a lot faster.

One rule of thumb I have been able to remember is running a mixture screw in to close and back out 1 1/2 turns to be close. The little 2100 on my 304 has one mixture screw that is a real pain to adjust without one of those flexible screwdrivers.

A blown gall bladder is a special brand of misery. Abdominal pain on par with a kidney stone, turning very yellow/orange all over, dark brown urine, and an overall since of misery.

35
posted on 04/26/2009 5:50:14 PM PDT
by wally_bert
(Tactical Is Still Missing A Chair! Star Wreck In The Pirkinning......)

Before something is junked around here, I will make an assessment of repair/replace/do without.

I can also handle most basic plumbing, electrical, and some carpentry. A lot of my limitations come from a tools budget standpoint or something that takes two bodies. However, I do know what I can and can't get away with. In those can't situations, I know to call somebody.

36
posted on 04/26/2009 5:56:05 PM PDT
by wally_bert
(Tactical Is Still Missing A Chair! Star Wreck In The Pirkinning......)

Well, I’m sure you learned much more than you ever realized just by being in the house and not hanging out with anyone inparticular. That’s how we all learn...watching, examples etc. We DID learn lots from our parents when they taught us and then we learned lots from them just by being around them. That’s what parents are for. Today? Not so much because so many work. It’s a crying shame but...guess I’m just old fashioned and would rather do with less yet have so much more. :)

My husband taught himself to do all that, All I have to say is that I am either calling a repairman or buying a new something and Voila! it is fixed almost immediately.

One of the last saves was our ancient dryer. We had purchased two of the same model over time from a repair shop that resold them cheap. He just cannibalized one to get the part for the other and it has now worked an extra 6 months. A screw froze and broke in the lawn tractor/mower. We went on line and for $12 with shipping, the part is on its way. I love it.

We both came from families that never repaired anything. It made a mess, or got oil on the driveway or just wasn't something they understood. My husband would have loved to have taken auto or wood shop, but was discouraged from doing that. But he understands how things work and reads the manuals. Even I have learned to at least figure out what is wrong with something, even if I usually can't do anything about it. But, then, I am spoiled.

41
posted on 04/27/2009 8:02:46 AM PDT
by reformedliberal
(Are we at high crimes or misdemeanors, yet?)

I saw an article recently on the Frugal Dad blog about repurposing an old laptop with a defunct battery to use as a netbook. He installed the Linux Ubuntu operating system. Pretty interesting stuff. If all you need is to surf and check email you don’t need a supercharged computer and Linus is perfect for that. It’s fun to play with, too.

Use old suitcases to keep all these items secure. When you need them just pick them up by the handle and you are ready to “rock and roll.” :) Someone told me to do that with old photo albums and all that kind of thing. Especially good for those living in high fire areas or floods where you are needing to evac in a HURRY.

And isn’t there a real satisfaction to take something old and banged up and then restore it to something useful and beautiful once again? Why pay for new? Go to garage sales and flea markets. Bargain, bargain, bargain. Bring home your finds and go for it.

As for cooking from scratch...I know it takes a little longer as do you but...it IS worth it when we know we fixed it with clean hands and we put in the food what WE want in there. It really doesn’t take long to grab some fresh veggies, wash them good and then put them in a pan to cook while doing other things. A simple, nutritious meal can be on the table by the time everyone goes and gets changed from school or work and does all the things they do before eating dinner. One child can set the table. Whomever does the cooking does NOT have to clear the table or clean up. That is for the ones who were off doing something else while one person was doing the cooking. It CAN be done and can be done systematically when everyone has a chore and pulls together. If not...then that’s chaos and ... nothing we can do about that. That’s something that has to be solved by each individual family. Sometimes...I think we make life TOO HARD on ourselves and...I wish most people would remember we don’t have to wait for government to do things FOR us or TELL us when or what we should do. We KNOW what to do and if we don’t...we are all smarter than the government thinks we are and therefore...we can figure it out on our own. They don’t know what they are doing anyway. It’s up to all of us to take care of ourselves.

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